Once Again It Is an Election Year: Politics, Promises and Deceit

I am wondering how politicians feel in an election year. How difficult it is for them to adjust to humble, sociable, prudent and respectful lifestyles. This is the period they are on their best behaviours and pretend to be on the level of the ordinary man. They come up with the promise of paradise tomorrow and what happens after that is the concern of God.

This is the year my septuagenarian mother will taste her share of the national party cake until after four years again. The politician will then tell her this is a sign of great things to come because there is still milk and honey to wash down her share of the national cake.

Hearing this, the old lady will walk on three legs, yes three legs, to the polling station to use her thumb because she is expecting milk and honey to wash down the cake she is given in the election year. As soon as the politician gets his wish, the elderly woman can compete with animals for water to drink over her cake, it is none of his cup of cappuccino or espresso.

Sir Winston Churchill, one time Prime Minister of Britain, summed it up when he was asked that if a young person wants to become a politician what qualities he must possess. He replied that he must be able to foretell what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year and should have the ability afterwards to explain to the people why it did not happen, why his predictions failed. In other words, why he failed to fulfil his promises. This is the best quality of a deceitful person which Churchill said politicians must have.

They will promise us heaven on earth. The nation’s development goals will be achieved only in an election year. Our roads, healthcare, education, Agriculture (our farmers), industries, social amenities including housing and our salaries will be given special attention in an election year, and only in an election year. After elections these projects and promises can wait for another four years to be accomplished.

This is the year the arrogance, opulence, extravagant lifestyle, and all perceived insulting behaviours of politicians will be suspended until after the election. Your MP who hitherto you will have to pass through many barriers of receptionists before you could see him will come to your house without any invite.

When politicians treat us with contempt, we must return the gesture in an election by ‘thumbing’ them out. Political dishonesty is the most dangerous dishonesty of all times. A lying politician is venomous and a threat to the peaceful co-existence of civil society. They tell the taxpayer to tighten his belt whilst their belt is loosened because of their potbelly. The taxpayer pays the politicians’ bills and their transport. Then they turn round to deny the masses the very facilities they are enjoying. We buy expensive cars for them and they in return splash water on us with it on a muddy road. Their deceit and lies reach an alarming tipping point in an election year with recycled vain promises which they could not accomplish after the last elections. If we keep track of their trickery, they will be stripped naked and whacked for deceit and improper conduct.

They have embellished lies and called it white and grey propaganda. Our politicians seem so out of touch with the people and reality to the point that they hardly realise people have become discerning. Gone are the days when we lived in a mass society and they could feed us with polonium lies and the public will hail and hold them in high esteem. These days with globalisation and its networking, society has become informative. My mother in the village may have some information about the country more than I do. We now live in a virtual empire called global village where censoring information is now difficult.

However, politicians have virtually failed to take note of this side of current developments in the world and still think that deceiving the electorate is the only key to the castle or Flag Staff house doors.

Ghanaians are wide alert now and will ask all the probing questions. Politicians should realign their strategies, since we shall educate the electorate and draw their attention to any attempt at deceiving the public to gain votes. We are also building data of all election promises by our politicians which will be used to measure their performance when they assume governance. No more honey moon period for politicians. They must as a matter of urgency start ticking their checklist of promises since we shall keep the list under scrutiny.

I look forward to a peaceful and decent election devoid of mayhem, insults, fraud, violence, rigging and mistrust. May the good Lord anoint the hearts of our politicians to at least tell the truth for the sake of the poor and venerable people in Ghana. And for the sake of children, the blind, the sick and the elderly.

kpebu@yahoo.com